Rapid deployment frac water transfer system

ABSTRACT

Methods, systems, and computer program products are provided for rapid deployment and retrieval of a frac water transfer system.

PRIORITY CLAIM

This application claims the benefit of prior provisional U.S.application Ser. No. 61/414,132 of the application for a RapidDeployment Frac Water Transfer System filed Nov. 16, 2010.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The invention relates generally to the rapid deployment and retrieval ofa frac water transfer system used in oil and gas operations, and moreparticularly, to the rapid deployment and retrieval of a frac watertransfer system used for hydraulic fracturing operations.

BACKGROUND

Hydraulic fracturing is a process used in the oil and gas industry tostimulate the production rate of a well. This process is also known as“fracing,” or conducting a “frac job,” in the industry. Techniques usedin hydraulic fracturing generally involve injecting a fluid down a wellat a high pressure. The injected fluid fractures the subterraneanformation surrounding the well. A proppant may also be added to thefluid to aid in propping the fractures. The fractures create channelsthrough which oil and/or gas can flow, facilitating the flow of the oiland/or gas to the well for production.

A typical preliminary step in preparing a frac job is transporting alarge volume of water (“frac water”) from a water source to a certaindestination. The destination may be any receptacle suitable for holdingfrac water located in the vicinity of where the frac job will be carriedout, including, but not limited to, a buffer pit, a frac pit, a fractank, or a work tank.

SUMMARY

One or more embodiments of the invention relate to a system fortransferring frac water between a source of the frac water and a fracwater destination. The system may comprise a subsystem for determiningone or more characteristics of the frac water transfer system, and aportable frac water delivery subsystem.

The subsystem for determining one or more characteristics of the fracwater transfer system may comprise means for measuring one or moreterrain parameters between the frac water source and the frac waterdestination, and means for designing a pipeline to be assembled betweenthe frac water source and the frac water destination. The means fordesigning may receive the one or more terrain parameters as input andgenerate output data. The output data may be presented as a set ofpressure profiles reflecting one or more measurements relating to one ormore characteristics of the pipeline to be assembled.

The portable frac water delivery subsystem may comprise one or moresegments of lay flat hose and one or more tracked carriers fortransporting the lay flat hose. The one or more segments of the lay flathose may be connected in series to assemble one or more pipelines fortransferring the frac water from the source of the frac water to thefrac water destination.

Each of the tracked carriers may comprise a lifting subsystem and atensioning subsystem.

The lifting subsystem may be used to load the one or more spools ontothe tracked carrier and/or offloading the one or more spools from thetracked carrier. The lifting subsystem may comprise an arm. One or morelinkages may connect the arm to the tracked carrier. To control the arm,one or more hydraulic cylinders may be used to move the one or morelinkages. The arm may be used to selectively engage the one or morespools.

The tensioning subsystem may be used to flatten the one or more segmentsof the lay flat hose to be wound onto the one or more spool. Further,the tensioning subsystem may be used to substantially remove water fromthe one or more segments of the lay flat hose. The tensioning subsystemmay comprise a drive subsystem for rotating the one or more spools. Aplurality of rollers may selectively engage the one or more segments ofthe lay flat hose onto the one or more spools. The one or more segmentsof the lay flat hose may be routed through the plurality of rollers inan alternating over and under configuration.

The system may further comprise one or more conveyance vehicles fortransporting equipment between an equipment storage site and the fracwater source and/or the frac water destination, the equipment comprisingthe one or more spools.

One or more embodiments of the invention relate to a method of deployinga system for transferring frac water between a source of the frac waterand a frac water destination. The method may involve determining one ormore characteristics of the frac water transfer system; deploying aportable frac water delivery subsystem; and assembling one or morepipelines for transferring the frac water from the source of the fracwater to the frac water destination.

Determining one or more characteristics of the frac water transfersystem may involve measuring one or more terrain parameters between awater source and a water destination and determining one or morepipeline design parameters. One or more pipelines to be assembled may bedesigned using a means for designing. The means for designing mayreceive the one or more terrain parameters and the one or more designparameters as input. The means for designing may further generate outputdata presented as a set of pressure profiles reflecting one or moremeasurements relating to one or more characteristics of the pipeline tobe assembled.

The portable frac water delivery subsystem may comprise one or moresegments of lay flat hose and one or more tracked carriers fortransporting the lay flat hose. Each tracked carrier may comprise atensioning subsystem for flattening the one or more segments of the layflat hose to be wound onto one or more spools.

The method may further involve conveying one or more spools to the fracwater source and/or the frac water destination, the one or more spoolswound with the one or more segments of the lay flat hose.

The method may further involve loading the spools onto the one or moretracked carriers and/or offloading the one or more spools from the oneor more tracked carriers. The tracked carriers may further comprise alifting subsystem for loading and/or offloading the one or more spools.The lifting subsystem may comprise an arm. One or more linkages mayconnect the arm to the tracked carrier. To control the arm, one or morehydraulic cylinders may be used to move the one or more linkages. Thearm may be used to selectively engage the one or more spools.

The method may further involve retrieving the one or more segments ofthe lay flat hose from the ground. Retrieval may involve selectivelyengaging the tensioning subsystem with the one or more segments of thelay flat hose. The tensioning subsystem may further comprise a pluralityof rollers, and a drive subsystem for rotating the one or more spools.Retrieval may further involve routing the one or more segments of thelay flat hose through the plurality of rollers; winding the one or moresegments of the lay flat hose onto the one or more spools; andsubstantially removing water from the one or more segments of the layflat hose.

Assembling the pipeline may involve connecting a plurality of segmentsof the lay flat hose in series. The ends of the segments of the lay flathose may be fitted with sexless, easy to connect couplings.

One or more embodiments of the invention may relate to a computerprogram product. The computer program product may comprise a computerusable medium having computer readable code embodied thereon fordetermining one or more characteristics of a frac water transfer system.The computer readable program code may comprise computer program codefor receiving one or more terrain parameters as input; computer readableprogram code for receiving one or more design parameters as input; andcomputer readable code for generating output data based on at least oneof: at least one terrain parameter and at least one design parameter.

The one or more terrain parameters may comprise at least one of:distances between adjacent points along a flow path of the frac watertransfer system, elevations at points along the flow path, one or moreparameters indicative of a degree of obstruction of the flow path, andone or more measurements taken by measurement devices disposed along theflow path, the one or more measurements relating to the one or morecharacteristics.

The one or more design parameters may comprise at least one of: a numberof one or more pumps along the flow path, placement locations of the oneor more pumps along the flow path, a number of one or more filter podsalong the flow path, and placement locations of the one or more filterpods along the flow path.

The output data may relate to one or more characteristics of the fracwater transfer system, including, but not limited to: water hammer orhydraulic shock effects, wave velocity, friction, hydrostatic head,hydraulic force, pressure loss due to friction, and positive pressureneeded to overcome friction.

The computer program product may further comprise computer readableprogram code for adjusting at least one of: at least one terrainparameter and at least one design parameter to generate at least oneadjusted parameter. The at least one adjusted parameter may comprise: anadjustment to at least one of: the one or more parameters indicative ofa degree of obstruction of the flow path, the number of pumps, theplacement locations of the pumps along the flow path, the number offilter pods, and the placement locations of the filter pods along theflow path. Computer readable program code may receive the at least oneadjusted parameter as input and generate updated output data based onthe at least one adjusted parameter.

The output data may be presented to a user as a set of pressure profilesreflecting one or more measurements relating to the one or morecharacteristics of the frac water transfer system.

The computer program product may further comprise computer readableprogram code for generating final output data from the updated outputdata on the condition that at least one characteristic of the frac watertransfer system represented by updated output data is within apredetermined range from a desired value of the at least onecharacteristic.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 shows a process flow for the determination of parameters toachieve desired pressure and flow characteristics in connection with therapid deployment and retrieval of frac water transfer systems inaccordance with embodiments of the invention

FIG. 2 shows a schematic view of a system for rapid deployment andretrieval of a frac water transfer system in accordance with embodimentsof the invention.

FIG. 3 shows a side view of lay flat hose wound onto a spool inaccordance with embodiments of the invention.

FIGS. 4A-4C show side views of a lifting subsystem in accordance withembodiments of the invention.

FIG. 5 shows a perspective view of an axial drive subsystem inaccordance with embodiments of the invention.

FIG. 6 shows a perspective view of a tensioning subsystem in accordancewith embodiments of the invention.

FIG. 7 shows a process flow of a method for rapid deployment andretrieval of a frac water transfer system in accordance with embodimentsof the invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

Frac water may be obtained from one or more sources of water comprisinglakes, rivers, ponds, creeks, streams, well water, flow-back water,produced water, treated water and any other source of water.Conventional methods of moving water over long distances involveextensive labor, time and transportation of, among other things,fixed-length pipes, fittings, and pumps.

One or more embodiments of the present invention relate to a system,method and computer program product for the rapid deployment andretrieval of a frac water transfer system. Embodiments of the system andmethod of the present invention employ one or more flexible, lay flathoses and/or one or more segments of lay flat hose for the transfer offrac water over long distances.

The lay flat hose may be collapsible such that it may lay flat whensubstantially empty (i.e. substantially devoid of water or othermatter). Thus, the lay flat hose can be wound onto spools, folded intoflaking boxes, or otherwise stored in a compact manner. Because the hoseis very flexible and conforms to the terrain upon which it is laid, 90°,45°, 22.5°, or other elbow fittings would not be required in order tohave a pipeline containing turns. Characteristics of fluid flow in apipe such as working pressure, burst pressure, maximum efficiency rate,and maximum feasible rate are considerably higher and thus moredesirable for the lay flat hose than for pipes used in conventionalmethods for frac water transportation. The lay flat hose may requirefewer connections and pumps than the pipes used in conventional methodsfor frac water transportation to achieve the desired characteristicsduring frac water transfer. Moreover, the lay flat hose is difficult todamage, having a life expectancy of approximately 5 yrs. whereas thepipes used in conventional methods for frac water transportation have alife expectancy of approximately 2 yrs.

In one conventional method, 30 ft. long segments of aluminum piping withan outer diameter of 10 in. are connected in series to form a pipelinefor transporting water over a long distance. A mile of straight piping(i.e., piping containing no turns) may require approximately 176connections. Clamp type connections are typically used to join thepipes. For pipelines containing turns, 90°, 45°, 22.5°, or other elbowfittings may be required. Water may potentially leak through eachconnection or fitting, thereby decreasing the efficiency of the pipelineand wasting water. The working pressure of the aluminum piping may beapproximately 80 psi and the burst pressure may be approximately 150psi. The maximum efficiency rate may be less than 50 bpm and the maximumfeasible rate may be approximately 75 bpm.

In another conventional method, 3200 ft. or 500 ft. long segments ofpolyethylene piping with an outer diameter of 4 in. or 6 in.,respectively, are connected in series to form a pipeline fortransporting water over a long distance. Pipelines having thesespecifications transfer water at low rates and therefore may not beviable for real-time water transfer.

In yet another conventional method, 30 ft. long segments of polyethylenepiping with an outer diameter of 12 in. are connected in series to forma pipeline for transporting water over a long distance. A mile ofstraight piping may require approximately 176 connections. Water maypotentially leak through each connection, thereby decreasing theefficiency of the pipeline and wasting water. For pipelines containingturns, 90°, 45°, 22.5°, or other elbow fittings may be required. Theworking pressure of the polyethylene piping may be approximately 150 psiand the burst pressure may be approximately 317 psi. The maximumefficiency rate may be approximately 76 bpm and the maximum feasiblerate may be approximately 92 bpm. Weighing approximately 26 lbs/ft.,manual handling of the polyethylene piping segments is impractical.

In one or more embodiments of the invention, a lay flat hose may bedeployed in segments ranging from about 5 ft. long to about 700 ft. longand have a nominal inner diameter ranging from about 3 in. to about 16in. In one or more embodiments, the lay flat hose is deployed in 500 ft.long segments with a nominal inner diameter of 12 in. A straight mile ofpipeline constructed out of the lay flat hose may require approximately11 connections. Because the hose is flexible and conforms to the terrainupon which it is laid, elbow fittings, which are prone to leaking, wouldnot be required for pipelines containing turns. The working pressure ofthe lay flat hose may be approximately 175 psi and the burst pressuremay be approximately 400 psi. The maximum efficiency rate may beapproximately 100 bpm and the maximum feasible rate may be approximately130 bpm. The lay flat hose is made of circular woven high tenacitypolyester. An elastomeric polyurethane cover and lining completelyencapsulate the polyester.

A variety of other types of lay flat hose may also be available at arange of sizes, materials, and capabilities. Any lay flat hose suitablefor the rapid deployment and retrieval of a frac water transfer systemmay be used in embodiments of the present invention.

One or more embodiments of the invention are directed to a computerprogram product for use in connection with the design and deployment offrac water transfer systems in accordance with embodiments of theinvention. The computer program product may generate output data thatincludes measurements of frac water flow characteristics and/or pressurecharacteristics determined based on various input parameters. The outputdata generated by the computer program product may be utilized in makingdesign and equipment choice/placement decisions in connection with thedeployment of frac water transfer systems according to embodiments ofthe invention.

The computer program product may comprise a computer usable mediumhaving computer readable program code embodied therein. The computerreadable program code may comprise computer readable code for receivingas input one or more terrain parameters. The terrain parameters mayinclude, but are not limited to, distances between adjacent discretepoints along the flow path of the frac water from the source to thedestination as well as elevations at discrete points along the path. Thediscrete points between which distance measurements may be taken and/orthe discrete points at which elevation measurements may be taken maycoincide with the endpoints of segments of the flexible hose.Alternatively, the distance and elevation measurements may be takencontinuously at any one or more points along the path traversed by theflexible hose when deployed.

A manual survey of the terrain may be performed to determine thedistance and elevation parameters. Alternatively, or in conjunction withthe manual survey, a global positioning system (GPS) device may beemployed to precisely measure distances and elevation differencesbetween discrete points along the path. The GPS device may also be usedto take continuous distance and elevation measurements along the flowpath.

In addition to the distance and elevation measurements, the terrainparameters may also comprise one or more parameters indicative of adegree of obstruction at one or more discrete points along the path ofthe flexible hose. More specifically, the one or more parametersindicative of a degree of obstruction may represent a measure of thedegree to which terrain characteristics may obstruct frac water flowthrough the flexible hose at one or more points along the flow path. Thedistance, elevation, and obstruction parameters, along with any otherterrain parameters that may be determined, may together provide acomprehensive survey of the terrain.

The computer readable program code may further comprise computerreadable program code for receiving as input one or more designparameters. Design parameters may include a number of and/or locationsalong the frac water flow path at which one or more pumps and/or one ormore filter pods may be placed. Adjustments to the number and/orplacement of pumps and filter pods may affect frac water flow rates andpressure and flow characteristics at various points along the flow path.

The computer program product may take as inputs one or more of theterrain and/or design parameters noted above and generate output datarelating to one or more of the following pressure/flow characteristics:water hammer or hydraulic shock effects, wave velocity, friction,hydrostatic head, hydraulic force, pressure loss due to friction,positive pressure needed to overcome friction, or any combinationthereof. However, it should be noted that the above list is notexhaustive and the output data may include any other suitablemeasurement for assisting in the design, implementation, and deploymentof a frac water transfer system according to embodiments of theinvention. In order to generate the output data, the computer programproduct may also receive, as input, data provided by various measurementdevices disposed along the frac water flow path correspondingly to thepoints between which and at which distance and elevation measurementsare taken.

The output data may be provided in the form of a set of pressureprofiles reflecting any one or more of the measurements discussed abovetaken at discrete or continuous points along the frac water flow path.If the pressure and flow measurements provided by way of the pressureprofiles do not conform to desired values, one or more parameters may beadjusted and new output data based on the adjusted parameters may begenerated. This process may be performed iteratively until the desiredpressure and flow characteristics are achieved. More specifically, thepath of the flexible hose pipeline from source to destination as well asthe location and/or number of pumps and/or filter pods may be determinedthrough an assessment of the output data generated by the computerprogram product based on iterative adjustments to the input parameters.

FIG. 1 depicts a process flow for the determination (and potentialiterative adjustment) of terrain and design parameters to achievedesired pressure and flow characteristics in connection with thedeployment of frac water transfer systems in accordance with embodimentsof the invention. In steps 102 and 104, one or more terrain parametersand one or more design parameters are determined, respectively. Theterrain and design parameters may include any of those previouslydiscussed. In step 106, these terrain and design parameters are providedas input to the computer program product, which in turn generates outputdata relating to one or more pressure/flow characteristics of the fracwater transfer system.

In step 108, the output data may be assessed to determine whether one ormore of the terrain and/or design parameters require adjustment in orderto achieve desired pressure/flow characteristics. For example, a terrainparameter indicative of a degree of obstruction may need to be adjusted(e.g. adjustment of the path traversed by the flexible hose) in order toachieve more desirable pressure and flow characteristics. Alternatively,or in addition to adjustment of the terrain parameters, one or moredesign parameters may require adjustment. For example, the number and/orplacement of the pumps and/or filter pods may need to be adjusted inorder to achieve desired characteristics.

If any of the terrain or design parameters require adjustment, theprocess flow returns to steps 102 and/or 104 to once again determine theterrain and/or design parameters. The computer program product receivesthese adjusted parameters as input and generates updated output data.This process may continue iteratively until the terrain and designparameters are such that the computer program product generates finaloutput data demonstrating pressure/flow characteristics withinacceptable tolerances from desired measurements. At that point, in step110, the frac water transfer system is deployed or modified inaccordance with the final terrain and design parameters.

As previously noted, the computer program product may be embodied in oneor more computer usable/readable media having computer readable programcode embodied thereon. Any combination of computer readable media may beutilized. A computer readable storage medium may be, for example, butnot limited to, a non-transitory medium such as an electronic, magnetic,optical, electromagnetic, infrared, or semiconductor system, apparatus,or device, or any suitable combination of the foregoing. Alternatively,the computer-readable medium may be a transitory propagation medium.More specific examples (a non-exhaustive list) of computer readablestorage media includes the following: an electrical connection havingone or more wires, a portable computer diskette, a hard disk, a randomaccess memory (RAM), a read-only memory (ROM), an erasable programmableread-only memory (EPROM or Flash memory), an optical fiber, a portablecompact disc read-only memory (CD-ROM), an optical storage device, amagnetic storage device, or any suitable combination of the foregoing.In the context of this document, a non-transitory computer readablestorage medium may be any tangible medium that can contain or store aprogram for use by or in connection with an instruction executionsystem, apparatus, or device. Program code embodied on a computerreadable medium may be transmitted using any appropriate medium,including but not limited to wireless, wireline, optical fiber cable,RF, etc., or any suitable combination of the foregoing.

Computer program code for carrying out operations for embodiments of thepresent invention may be written in any combination of one or moreprogramming languages, including, but not limited to, an object orientedprogramming language such as Java, Smalltalk, C++, Python, Ruby, or thelike, a common language infrastructure (CLI) language such as C#,C++/CLI, F#, J#, #Smalltalk, or any other CLI implementation of anotherprogramming language, and/or “conventional” procedural programminglanguages, such as the “C” programming language or similar programminglanguages. The program code may execute entirely on the user's computer,partly on the user's computer, as a stand-alone software package, partlyon the user's computer and partly on a remote computer or entirely onthe remote computer or server. In the latter scenario, the remotecomputer may be connected to the user's computer through any type ofnetwork, including a local area network (LAN) or a wide area network(WAN), or the connection may be made to an external computer (forexample, through the Internet using an Internet Service Provider).

One or more embodiments of the present invention comprise a system 200for rapidly deploying a frac water transfer system in accordance withembodiments of the invention, as depicted schematically in FIG. 2. Thesystem 200 comprises one or more segments of lay flat hose 304 woundonto one or more spools or reels 202. The spools 202 comprise acylindrical core and two sidewalls having a circular cross section. Inone or more embodiments, the sidewalls of the spools 202 may comprisespokes 302, as illustrated in FIG. 3. Each sidewall further comprises acircumferential surface. The lay flat hose 304 may be manually woundonto the spools 202. The lay flat hose 304 may comprise a first end 306and a second end 312. The second end 312 of the lay flat hose 304 isattached to the cylindrical core or drum 308 of the spool 302 such thatthe end 312 will rotate along with and at substantially the same rate asthe drum 308 of the spool 202.

In one or more embodiments, each end 306, 312 of the lay flat hosesegment 304 comprises a coupling 310. While the coupling 310 of thesecond end 312 may be disposed proximate the outer surface of the drum308, and the lay flat hose 304 may be wound around both the drum 308 andthe coupling 310, such an arrangement may create an irregular shapedspooling resembling an egg. To avoid the irregular shape, the coupling310 of the second end 312 may be disposed within the drum 308. Disposingthe coupling 310 within the drum 308 further connects and anchors thesecond end 312 to the spool 202.

A crank (not shown) that rotates the drum 308 of the spool 202 may beturned manually, thereby rotating and winding the lay flat hose 304around the drum 308 of the spool 202. Manual adjustments in alignment ofthe lay flat hose 304 may be necessary to reduce tangling and ensurethat the desired length of lay flat hose 304 fits within the spool's 202carrying capacity. The number of spools 202 necessary depends on thedesired or required total length of lay flat hose 304, which isdetermined, in part, by surveying the path from the water source 208 tothe destination 210, as described above.

Alternatively, a drive system (not shown) may be used to facilitatewinding the segments of lay flat hose 304 onto the spools 202. Forexample, the drive system may comprise a shaft fitted with frictionrollers. The friction rollers may be spaced such that each frictionroller aligns with and engages a circumferential surface of a sidewallof the spool 202. A power source in communication with a motor mayrotate the shaft, and consequently rotate the friction rollers, in onedirection, causing the spool 202 to rotate in the opposite direction.The drive system may thus replace the manual crank system describedabove for winding the segments of lay flat hose 304 onto the spools 202.

In one or more embodiments of the present invention, the spools 202 oflay flat hose 304 may be loaded onto one or more support structures, or“skids” (not shown). The skids allow for a completely self-containedmodular system comprising one or more spools 202 of lay flat hose 304.

Each skid may further comprise one or more legs for maintaining theskids in a position suitable for facilitating the loading and offloadingof the spools 202 onto and from the skids. Moreover, the legs mayfacilitate the loading and offloading of the skids onto and from avehicle or a trailer towed by a vehicle.

Each skid may further comprise a lifting mechanism allowing for the skidto be self-supported. The lifting mechanism may be any mechanismsuitable for lifting the spools 202, and loading or offloading thespools 202 onto or from the skid.

In one or more embodiments of the present invention, the skids may beloaded onto one or more conveyance vehicles 204. Any type of conveyancevehicle 204 suitable for carrying skids or heavy equipment may be used,including, but not limited to: a rollback trailer with a hydraulic lift,a flatbed trailer with a portable forklift, or a flatbed trailer with aknuckle-boom crane. The skids may be lifted and loaded onto theconveyance vehicle 204 manually or with the aid of machinery suitablefor lifting heavy equipment. For example, a forklift or a crane may beused to lift the skids onto the conveyance vehicle 204.

In one or more embodiments of the present invention, the spools 202 maybe loaded directly onto the conveyance vehicle 204 without the use ofskids. It is to be understood that the present invention envisions theconveyance of modules of multiple spools 202 loaded onto skids and/orspools 202 without skids. The conveyance vehicle 204 onto which spools202 are loaded may be a 48 ft. flatbed trailer with the capacity tocarry about 14 spools 202, approximately 1.25 mi. of lay flat hose 304.The use of a flatbed trailer may comply with Department ofTransportation (DOT) size and weight requirements. The use of a flatbedtrailer as the conveyance vehicle 204 facilitates the use of a thirdparty contractor for hauling of the load, which reduces the DOT riskexposure of the person or entity hiring the third party contractor.

A desired number of spools 202 may be loaded onto the conveyance vehicle204. The desired number of spools 202 is determined, in part, based onthe total length of lay flat hose 304 needed to complete the designedpipeline 216 and on the conveyance vehicle's 204 carrying capacity. Theconveyance vehicle 204 may be driven from the equipment site 206 to thewater source 208 to begin laying the lay flat hose 304 towards the fracwater destination 210, i.e., the location to which water will betransported. The frac water destination 210 may be in the vicinity ofthe location where the frac job will be performed. Alternatively, theconveyance vehicle 204 may be driven to the destination 210, and the layflat hose 304 may be laid towards the water source 208. Besides spools202, the conveyance vehicle 204 may carry smaller off-road vehicles 212and/or various other types of equipment 214 that facilitate the rapiddeployment and retrieval of a frac water transfer system in accordancewith embodiments of the invention.

One or more conveyance vehicles 204 and/or off-road vehicles 212 may beused to transport additional spools 202 of lay flat hose 304 or otherequipment 214, if necessary, to the current pipeline 216 work location.The current pipeline 216 work location is defined herein as the vicinityof the location at which the last segment of lay flat hose 304 has beenlaid.

The spools 202 may be offloaded from the conveyance vehicle 204 in amanner similar to that used in loading the skids onto the conveyancevehicle 204. However, a different manner of offloading the spools 202from the conveyance vehicle 204 may be used. For example, if a forkliftwas used to lift and load the spools 202 onto the conveyance vehicle204, a forklift may also be used to lift and offload the spools 202 fromthe conveyance vehicle 204. But the spools 202 may also be offloadedmanually or with the aid of any other machinery suitable for liftingheavy equipment.

In one or more embodiments, smaller off-road vehicles 212 may be used totransport the spools 202 from the conveyance vehicle 204 to the currentpipeline work location.

In one or more embodiments, one or more skids, each having a liftingmechanism, may be used to offload the spools 202 from the skids 120. Theoff-road vehicle(s) 212 may be one or more all-terrain vehicles (ATVs),each towing a trailer capable of being towed in an all-terrainenvironment. The ATVs may position the trailer proximate a skid suchthat the lifting mechanism of the skid is capable of lifting andoffloading a spool 202 from the skid, and lifting and loading the spool202 onto the ATV-towed trailer. Alternatively, the spools 202 may beoffloaded from the skids and loaded onto the ATV-towed trailersmanually, or with the aid of other machinery capable of lifting heavyequipment. The ATVs may be substituted with a different type of off-roadvehicle 212 suitable for towing a trailer. The ATV- or otherwise-towedtrailers, each carrying one or more spools 202, may be driven close tothe current pipeline 216 work location.

The segment of lay flat hose 304 to be laid may be unwound from thespool 202. The trailer on which the spool 202 is sitting may comprise afriction roller drive mechanism (not shown) for unwinding the lay flathose 304 from the spool 202. A shaft comprising mounted friction rollersmay be in contact with the circumferential surface of the sidewalls ofthe spool 202. A remote hydraulic power pack may provide the source ofpower to rotate the shaft, thus rotating the friction rollers in thesame direction. The friction rollers may comprise an outside contactsurface made of a material having a high coefficient of friction. Thecontact of the rotating friction rollers with the circumferentialsurfaces of the sidewalls of the spool 202 in turn causes the spool 202to rotate in the direction opposite of that in which the frictionrollers (and correspondingly, the shaft) are rotating. As the spoolrotates, the lay flat hose 304 may be unwound and offloaded from thespool 202. In one or more embodiments, the drive mechanism may unwindthe lay flat hose 304 from the spools 202 at a rate ranging from about 1mph to about 4 mph.

Alternatively, or in addition, the off-road vehicle(s) 212 may be one ormore tracked carriers or “crawlers” 212 as illustrated in FIGS. 2,4A-4C, and 6. The crawler 212 may comprise a bed 402, a liftingsubsystem 404, a drive axle subsystem 502, and a tensioning subsystem602. The crawler 212 may be designed to be small enough formaneuverability in tight spaces, but yet large enough to optimize thenumber of trips required to deploy the lay flat hose 304 and to optimizethe time required to complete the trips.

In one or more embodiments, the crawler 212 may have a full lengthranging from about 12 ft. to about 15 ft., a full width ranging fromabout 5 ft. to about 7 ft., and a carrying capacity of over 7,000 lbs.Powered by an engine having between about 70 hp to about 80 hp, thecrawler 212 may travel at a maximum speed ranging from about 4 mph toabout 8 mph.

A driver-operator of the crawler 212 may be seated in a locationrelative to the bed 402 such that the lay flat hose 304 may be laidalong the pipeline path 216 without obstructing the driver-operator'sforward view. The bed 402 may be designed to provide a stable supportstructure for at least the spool 202, the lay flat hose 304, and thespool's base 406.

FIGS. 4A-4C illustrate the lifting subsystem 404 of the crawler 212 inaccordance with embodiments of the invention. The lifting subsystem 404may comprise any mechanism capable of lifting the spool 202 and placingit on the bed 402 of the crawler 212. In one or more embodiments, thelifting subsystem 404 comprises an arm 408. The arm 408 may comprise oneor more linkages 410 with a notched or grooved end 412. An operator maycontrol the movement of the one or more linkages 410 via one or morehydraulic cylinders 414.

The notched or grooved end 412 of the lifting subsystem's 404 arm 408may engage the circumferential surface of a shaft 416 protrudingoutwardly from the spool 202. An operator may control the arm 408 tolift the spool 202 off the ground and place the spool 202 onto the bed402 of the crawler 212 in an upright position.

The lifting subsystem 404 of the crawler 212 may also be used to loadand offload the spools 202 from the conveyance vehicles 204.

Referring now to FIG. 5, the axle drive subsystem 502 of the crawler 212may comprise a drive shaft 504 that engages an axial shaft 506 of thespool 202. The end of the drive shaft 504 that does not engage the axialshaft 506 of the spool 202 may be fitted with a first gear 508 (drivengear). The first gear's 508 rotation correspondingly rotates the axialshaft 506 and the spool 202 in the same direction. A second gear 510(drive gear) may be substantially aligned in a parallel configurationwith the first gear 508. A motor (not shown) may be used to rotate thesecond gear 510. The teeth of the gears 508, 510 may mesh in order totransmit the motor's torque.

Alternatively, the second gear 510 may be spaced apart from the firstgear 508 and a chain 512 may be used to transmit rotary motion from thesecond gear 510 to the first gear 508. Unlike the meshing configurationin which the gears 508, 510 rotate in opposite directions, the drivechain transmits rotary motion such that the gears 508, 510 rotate in thesame direction. Because the first gear's 508 rotation correspondinglyrotates the axial shaft 506 and the spool 202 in the same direction, thespool 202 rotates in the same direction as the second gear 510 andmotor. Rotation in either direction may lay and/or retrieve the lay flathose 304.

FIG. 6 illustrates the tensioning subsystem 602 of the crawler 212 inaccordance with embodiments of the invention. The tensioning subsystem602 may comprise a plurality of rollers 604. The lay flat hose 304 mayengage the rollers 604 in an alternating over-and-under configuration.The second end 312 of the lay flat hose 304 may be connected to thespool 202 so that the lay flat hose may be retrieved. The axle drivesubsystem 502, described above with reference to FIG. 5, may rotate thespool 202 in either direction to retrieve and wind the lay flat hose 304onto the spool 202. As the lay flat hose 304 passes through the rollers604 of the tensioning subsystem 602, tensile forces act upon the layflat hose 304, flattening the lay flat hose 304 and ensuring that it isneatly and tightly wound onto the spool 202. Further, because thetensioning subsystem 602 flattens the lay flat hose 304, fluid isthereby squeezed out and removed from the lay flat hose 304. This waterremoving effect may efficiently dry the lay flat hose 304 and allows itto be readily deployed for further use or stored for later use.

In one or more embodiments, the rollers 604 of the tensioning subsystem602 may be disposed towards the front of the crawler 212 to facilitateretrieval of the lay flat hose 304 while the crawler 212 is movingforward. The rollers 604 may be disposed at a height above the groundsufficient to lift the lay flat hose 304 off the ground to reduce anywear and tear of the lay flat hose 304 that may otherwise occur by itsscraping against the ground during retrieval.

In one or more embodiments, the tensioning subsystem 602 may comprisetwo rollers 604. The rollers 604 may be spaced apart and have parallelaxes. The axes of the rollers 604 may also be parallel to the axis ofthe spool 202. The rollers 604 may be aligned laterally with respect toeach other and the spool 602 such that, when the lay flat hose 304 isretrieved, the lay flat hose 304 is pulled longitudinally towards thespool 202 and wound onto the spool 202. The rollers 604 may be attachedto a support structure 606 and restricted to a rotational degree offreedom. The support structure 606 may have a pivotable component 608 towhich the forward most roller 604 may be attached. The pivotablecomponent 608 may rotate about pivot 610. A hydraulic cylinder 612 maybe attached to the support structure 606 to control rotational movementof the support structure 606, thereby facilitating the raising andlowering of the forward most roller 604.

Referring back to FIGS. 2-3, the first end 306 of the lay flat hosesegment 304 is the end that is first unwound and offloaded from thespool 202 as the spool 202 is rotated by the axial drive subsystem 502.The second end 312 of the lay flat hose 304 is the end that is lastunwound and offloaded from the spool 202. The lay flat hose segment 304may be manually positioned as it unwinds from the spool 202 to ensureplacement of the lay flat hose segment 304 suitable for connecting thefirst end 306 of the lay flat hose segment to the second end 312 of thepreviously laid lay flat hose segment 304.

The spools 202 may be pre-staged at predetermined positions at which layflat hose 304 will be needed between the one or more water sources 208and the one or more destinations 210 to avoid deadheading. Thepre-staging positions may be determined based on the terrain parametersgathered from the survey and the output data of the computer programproduct 224.

Any type of coupling 310 suitable for connecting two ends of the layflat hose 304 may be used. For example, in one or more embodiments, thefirst end 306 of each laid hose segment 304 may be connected to thesecond end 312 of the previously laid lay flat hose segment 304 using aneasy to connect, unisex coupling 310 that substantially eliminates waterleakage and has a suitable pressure rating.

In the foregoing described manner, the lay flat hose 304 may beconnected in series, from end to end, until a pipeline 216 spanning atleast the length from the water source 208 to the frac water destination210, or vice-versa, is constructed. One or more pumps 218 may beintegrated within the pipeline 216 to force the flow of water throughthe pipeline 216. One or more filter pods 220 may also be integratedwithin the pipeline 216 to remove particulate matter originating fromthe water source 208 before the frac water reaches its destination 210.More than one lay flat hose 304 pipelines 216 may be constructed as partof the rapid deployment and retrieval of a system for transferring fracwater. As previously described, design parameters 222 may be determinedbased in part on insight gained from the computer program product 224.

In one or more embodiments of the system, the lay flat hose 304 may befolded and packed into flaking boxes (not shown) rather than wound ontospools 202. The flaking boxes are driven to the current pipeline worklocation in a conveyance vehicle 204. In one aspect, one or more flakingboxes may be modularly supported in skids. In another aspect, no skidsare used, and the flaking boxes are instead transported to the currentpipeline work location in a manner such that they can be handledindividually. Each flaking box may be loaded onto a conveyance vehicle204 suitable for carrying loads in an all-terrain environment. Theconveyance vehicle may be driven to the vicinity of where the lay flathose will be laid. The lay flat hose may be manually withdrawn from theflaking box. Alternatively, a drive mechanism (not shown) may aid inwithdrawing the lay flat hose from the flaking box.

In one or more embodiments, a multi-chamber blending manifold may beincorporated to combine multiple fluids, including frac water from oneor more water sources, the multi-chamber blending manifold mixing thefluids into a homogeneous solution before discharge into the workingtanks. Frac water optimization methods may also be incorporated toprovide the ability to deliver optimal volumes of a frac fluidcontaining optimal concentrations of one or more additives to a wellbore. The multi-chamber blending manifold described in U.S. ProvisionalApplication No. 61/479,641 and the frac water optimization methodsdescribed in U.S. Pub. No. 2010/0059226 A1 are incorporated herein byreference in their entirety. Furthermore, where a definition or use of aterm in a reference, which is incorporated by reference herein isinconsistent or contrary to the definition of that term provided herein,the definition of that term provided herein applies and the definitionof that term in the reference does not apply.

One or more embodiments of the invention are directed to methods for therapid deployment and retrieval of frac water transfer systems inaccordance with embodiments of the invention. Methods have beendescribed in detail above in connection with the computer programproducts and the systems. Embodiments of the methods are furtherdepicted by the flow chart in FIG. 7. The methods involve surveying thepath from the frac water source to the destination 702, as describedabove with reference to FIG. 1, and determining one or more designparameters 704 to use as input for the computer program product.

The methods further involve designing a lay flat hose pipeline based onthe computer program product's output 706. Input parameters may beadjusted in order to achieve the desired pressure and flowcharacteristics of the pipeline design.

In step 708, one or more conveyance vehicles may be deployed from theequipment site to the water source. The conveyance vehicles may haul layflat hose wound onto spools, crawlers, and/or other equipment.

In step 710, the spools may be offloaded from the conveyance vehiclesand onto the beds of the crawlers using the crawlers' lifting subsystemas described above with reference to FIGS. 4A-4C.

In step 712, the lay flat hose may be unwound from the spools using thecrawlers' drive subsystem as described above with reference to FIG. 5.

In steps 714 and 716, segments of the lay flat hose are laid in seriesand connected along the designed pipeline path from the frac watersource to the destination. As each segment of lay flat hose is laid onthe ground, the first end of the lay flat hose segment is connected tothe second end of the previously laid lay flat hose segment usingsexless easy to connect couplings. Frac water may be transferred at highrates through the constructed lay flat hose pipeline 718 from the watersource to the destination.

In step 720, the lay flat hose may be retrieved and dried using thecrawler's tensioning subsystem. The tensioning subsystem may prepare thelay flat hose to be readily deployed for further use or to be stored forlater use.

In one sample job using a conventional method, 10 in. aluminum pipingwas used to transfer water from a frac water source to a frac waterdestination. Although the distance between the frac water source and thefrac water destination was about 3.13 mi., approximately 6.26 mi. ofaluminum piping was required to complete the job, as two pipelines wereassembled to transfer water in parallel. Also required were: 1,143connections; 16 angled fittings; 15 vents; 15 drains; 32 truck loads ofequipment; 8 personnel; and 6 trucks. The job consumed 12 days: fourdays for rig up, four days for pumping, and four days for rig down. Atotal of about 148 one-way vehicular trips and about 1,056 person-hourswere required to complete the job.

The same job was modeled using one or more embodiments of the computerprogram product described above to determine the theoretical results ofusing the rapid deployment frac water transfer system according to oneor more embodiments of the present invention. It was determined thatonly one or two high pressure pumps might be required to complete thesame sample job described above. Further, only one pipeline having alength of about 3.13 mi. might be required to complete the job, asopposed to the two pipelines working in parallel required using theconventional method. Also required in the model were: 25-40 connections;zero angled fittings (as the lay flat hose is flexible); virtually zerovents and/or drains; four truck loads of equipment; three personnel; andthree trucks. The modeled job consumed six days: one day for rig up,four days for pumping, and one day for rig down. The theoretical resultsyielded by the model required a total of about 50 one-way vehiculartrips and about 288 person-hours to complete the job.

Accordingly, compared to conventional methods, embodiments of thepresent invention may substantially reduce the number of person-hoursand the number of one-way vehicular trips required to complete thepipeline, thereby reducing cost and the potential for harm to humans andthe environment.

While the foregoing describes various embodiments of the invention,other and further embodiments of the invention may be devised withoutdeparting from the basic scope thereof. The scope of the invention isdetermined by the claims that follow. The invention is not limited tothe described embodiments, versions or examples, which are included toenable a person having ordinary skill in the art to make and use theinvention when combined with information and knowledge available to theperson having ordinary skill in the art.

The invention claimed is:
 1. A system for transferring frac waterbetween a source of the frac water and a frac water destination, thesystem comprising: a subsystem for determining one or morecharacteristics of the frac water transfer system; and a portable fracwater delivery subsystem, the portable frac water delivery subsystemcomprising: one or more segments of a lay flat hose that rest upon andconform to an underlying support terrain; one or more tracked carriersfor transporting the lay flat hose, the one or more tracked carrierseach comprising: a tensioning subsystem for flattening the one or moresegments of the lay flat hose to be wound onto one or more spools, theone or more segments of the lay flat hose connected in series toassemble one or more pipelines for transferring the frac water from thesource of the frac water to the frac water destination, the one or moretracked carriers each further comprising a lifting subsystem for loadingthe one or more spools onto the tracked carrier and/or offloading theone or more spools from the tracked carrier, the lifting subsystemcomprising: an arm, the arm selectively engaging the one or more spools;one or more linkages connecting the arm to the tracked carrier; and oneor more hydraulic cylinders for controlling the movement of the one ormore linkages; and a winding device that winds the one or more segmentsof the lay flat hose onto the one or more spools while removing the oneor more segments of lay flat hose from the underlying support surface.2. The system of claim 1, further comprising one or more conveyancevehicles for transporting equipment between an equipment storage siteand the frac water source and/or the frac water destination, theequipment comprising the one or more spools.
 3. A system fortransferring frac water between a source of the frac water and a fracwater destination, the system comprising: a subsystem for determiningone or more characteristics of the frac water transfer system; and aportable frac water delivery subsystem, the portable frac water deliverysubsystem comprising: one or more segments of a lay flat hose that restupon an underlying support terrain; one or more tracked carriers fortransporting the lay flat hose on said terrain, the one or more trackedcarriers each comprising: a tensioning subsystem for flattening the oneor more segments of the lay flat hose to be wound onto one or morespools, the one or more segments of the lay flat hose connected inseries to assemble one or more pipelines for transferring the frac waterfrom the source of the frac water to the frac water destination, the oneor more tracked carriers each further comprising a lifting subsystem forloading the one or more spools from said underlying support terrain ontothe tracked carrier and/or offloading the one or more spools from thetracked carrier to the underlying support terrain, the lifting subsystemcomprising: an arm, the arm selectively engaging the one or more spools;one or more linkages connecting the arm to the tracked carrier; and oneor more hydraulic cylinders for controlling the movement of the one ormore linkages; and a winding device that winds the one or more segmentsof the lay flat hose onto the one or more spools while removing thesegments from the underlying support surface, the tensioning subsystemfurther comprising: a drive subsystem for rotating the one or morespools; a plurality of rollers selectively engaging the one or moresegments of the lay flat hose, the drive subsystem selectively activatedto wind the one or more segments of the lay flat hose onto the one ormore spools, the one or more segments of the lay flat hose routedthrough the plurality of rollers in an alternating over and underconfiguration.
 4. The system of claim 3, the tensioning subsystemsubstantially removing water from the one or more segments of the layflat hose.
 5. A system for transferring frac water between a source ofthe frac water and a frac water destination, the system comprising: asubsystem for determining one or more characteristics of the frac watertransfer system; and a portable frac water delivery subsystem, theportable frac water delivery subsystem comprising: one or more segmentsof a lay flat hose; one or more tracked carriers for transporting thelay flat hose, the one or more tracked carriers each comprising: atensioning subsystem for flattening the one or more segments of the layflat hose to be wound onto one or more spools, the one or more segmentsof the lay flat hose connected in series to assemble one or morepipelines for transferring the frac water from the source of the fracwater to the frac water destination, the subsystem for determining oneor more characteristics of the frac water transfer system furthercomprising: means for measuring one or more terrain parameters betweenthe frac water source and the frac water destination; and means fordesigning a pipeline to be assembled between the frac water source andthe frac water destination, the means for designing receiving the one ormore terrain parameters as input and generating output data, the outputdata presented as a set of pressure profiles reflecting one or moremeasurements relating to one or more characteristics of the pipeline tobe assembled.
 6. A method of deploying a system for transferring fracwater between a source of the frac water and a frac water destination,the method comprising: determining one or more characteristics of thefrac water transfer system; deploying a portable frac water deliverysubsystem, the portable frac water delivery subsystem comprising: one ormore segments of a lay flat hose; one or more tracked carriers fortransporting the lay flat hose, the one or more tracked carriers eachcomprising: a tensioning subsystem for flattening the one or moresegments of the lay flat hose to be wound onto one or more spools;assembling one or more pipelines for transferring the frac water fromthe source of the frac water to the frac water destination, furthercomprising loading the one or more spools onto the one or more trackedcarriers and/or offloading the one or more spools from the one or moretracked carriers, each tracked carrier further comprising a liftingsubsystem, the lifting subsystem comprising: an arm, the arm selectivelyengaging the one or more spools; one or more linkages connecting the armto the tracked carrier; and one or more hydraulic cylinders forcontrolling the movement of the one or more linkages, further comprisingretrieving the one or more segments of the lay flat hose from theground, comprising: selectively engaging the tensioning subsystem withthe one or more segments of the lay flat hose, tensioning subsystemfurther comprising: a plurality of rollers; and a drive subsystem forrotating the one or more spools; routing the one or more segments of thelay flat hose through the plurality of rollers; and winding the one ormore segments of the lay flat hose onto the one or more spools.
 7. Themethod of claim 6, further comprising conveying one or more spools tothe frac water source and/or the frac water destination, the one or morespools wound with the one or more segments of the lay flat hose.
 8. Themethod of claim 6, the retrieving the one or more segments of the layflat hose from the ground further comprising substantially removingwater from the one or more segments of the lay flat hose.
 9. The methodof claim 6, the determining one or more characteristics of the fracwater transfer system further comprising: measuring one or more terrainparameters between a water source and a water destination; determiningone or more pipeline design parameters; designing one or more pipelinesto be assembled between the water source and the water destination,means for designing receiving the one or more terrain parameters and theone or more pipeline design parameters as input and generating outputdata, the output data presented as a set of pressure profiles reflectingone or more measurements relating to one or more characteristics of thepipeline to be assembled.
 10. The method of claim 6, the assembling ofthe one or more pipelines for transferring the frac water from thesource of the frac water to the frac water destination, furthercomprising the step of connecting a plurality of segments of the layflat hose in series, wherein the ends of the segments of the lay flathose being fitted with sexless couplings.